RU 40/2008 - GEORGIA, TURKEY

- GEORGIA: After the mini war which swept over it, Christian Georgia - one of the oldest Christian nations of the world (since 330) – is awaking. Currently the Orthodox of Georgia complete nine days of intense prayers towards the Holy Virgin Mary, an initiative taken by the Georgian orthodox patriarch Ilya II. The latter one, even very sick, invited the Orthodox faithful of Russia that the two sister churches ensure peace between the two countries. Also, Ilya II preached the return of monarchy, by inviting to the throne a descendant of the former royal family of the Bagratides which has been decimated by the Bolsheviks. In parallel, Putin in Russia starts talking about the return of the tsar, chosen in the family of Nicolas II who has been assassinated by the Bolsheviks. Never the French Republic, direct heiress of the Revolution of 1789, excused herself for the murder of the noble king of France, but Russia currently finds the courage to restore the honor of its assassinated tsar. Within 15 years the spiritual situation changed in Europe: the Christians are today rather in the east, and the atheists in the west. Let’s pray with the Georgians and the Russians for their countries, and for all Christian Europe! - (Ru)

- TURKEY: The German Catholic news agency KAP gave on September 30th the following announcement (translated by RU into English): “Ankara, (KAP). In the Turkish province ARTVIN were apprehended and arrested 22 Orthodox Christians in their church, since Moslem fanatic neighbours suspected them of practicing `missionary activities'. According to the Turkish media, a patrol of the paramilitary gendarmerie observed on Friday, September 26<sup>th</sup>, in the village Cevizli a priest wearing a cassock in the street in front of the church. The soldiers arrested as well the priest as all the community who prayed in the church - 18 women and 3 men - and brought them to police custody. The Artvin province has a rich Georgian and Armenian heritage. The clerk was a Georgian priest, as it turned out during the identity check. Aged 33, he had entered into Turkey from close Georgia 3 days before, for celebrating masses in the churches of the area. The gendarmerie claims that the inhabitants of Cevizli testified that the Christians would have distributed in the village candies to the children and bibles to the adults. The gendarmes took from the priest a fine of 50 USD for having worn religious clothing in public, which is forbidden in Turkey since the times of Ataturc. Then the Christians were set free.” It should be noted that one day before, on Sept. 25<sup>th</sup>, the European association UNEC had been able, during its “Pilgrimage to the Christian earth of Turkey”, to celebrate a clandestine catholic mass in an old abandoned church in the eastern mountains of Turkey. Did the gendarmerie get informed about that, causing their attack on other Christians in the area? – It’s lamentable that the European Union negotiates with countries which have such repressive practices, a possible adhesion. With Islam - even in its `mitigated' form as `the laic Republic of Turkey' - there is only one language they understand: firmness. When, finally, our civil and religious authorities will decide to discuss on equal foot with them, by firmly negotiating each minaret in Europe against a bell-tower in Muslim countries, and not by begging some empty promises through a ridiculous dialog? - (ru - KAP Sept.30)

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